Beet-root harvesting machine



Nov. 14, 1933. STQLZE 1,934,757

BEET-ROOT HARVESTING MACHINE Filed NOV. 29, 1932 2 SheetsSheet l Filed Nov. 29, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 14, 1933 UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE Heinrich Stolze, Schwanebcck, near Oschersleben, Germany Application November 29, 1932, Serial No.

644,858, and in Germany February 9, 1931 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a beet-root harvesting machine provided with a collecting device for the dry beet-roots. The collecting device consists of a rake set at an angle, the front portion of which is provided with almost vertical tines, whereas its rear portion is constructed as a cage with suitably bent tines and can be oscillated in known manner for emptying.

A further feature of the invention consists in that behind the beet-root digger a fork disc is arranged by which the beet-roots still in the soil are gripped, lifted and thrown behind the disc in front of the rake, so that the beet-roots lie exposed on the field where they are gripped by the rake.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:-

Fig. 1 shows the machine in top plan view.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

On a stationary front axle l of the machine the front wheels are mounted by means of stubs 2. The steering is effected by a rod 3 from the drivers seat. The rear wheels are keyed on the rear axle 5. Two longitudinal girders 6 rest on the front axle 1 and carry the rear axle 5 in bearings 7. The machine illustrated is a single row machine but it may also be constructed for several rows.

A topping knife 8 is mounted on a set off plate 9 which is rotatable on a shaft 10. The plate 9 is adapted to be raised from the drivers seat by means of a pull wire .11 actuated by a handle 12. The plate 9 travels in front of the topping knife 8 and bears againstvthe top of the beet-root so that the knife is brought to the proper cutting height.

The top cut off drops onto the plate 9, thence onto an elevator 13 and at the rear end of this elevator onto a conveyor 14 which deposits it in a box 15 arranged outside the machine. A blade wheel 16 is mounted in the box' 15 and held by a latch 17 until released by the pull of a rope 18 actuated by a pedal 19, whereupon the loaded blade releases the beet-root tops resting thereon and the next blade bears against the latch.

A digger 20 is fixed on a bar 21 which extends through a bearing sleeve 22 and terminates in a spindle 23 on which a control wheel 24 is mounted for lowering and raising the digger 20 carried by a frame 25, 26.

The dug beet-roots, a part of which still sticks in the ground, are completely pulled out of the soil by a fork disc 27 arranged behind the digger, lifted by the forks and thrown behind the disc so that they lie exposed on thefield. The fork disc 27 is keyed on a shaft 28 which is constructed as a rocking axle andcarried by two levers 29 I mounted on bearings 30. The fork disc is driven by a spur wheel 31 meshing, when the fork wheel is in lowered position, with a toothed wheel 32 keyed on the axle 28 of the fork Wheel. The toothed wheel 32 is disengaged from the toothed wheel 31 by lifting the oscillatable axle 28 by means of a chain 33 or the like.

The beet-roots lying exposed behind the fork wheel are gripped by a rake 34 set at an angle terminating short of the rearmost end of a cage 35. This cage 35 has some substantially vertical tines forming a gate at its rearmost end, so that the beets are guided sidewise and obliquely by rake 34 and then enter cage 35 and are held there until cage 35 is raised. The cage 35 is attached by hinges 36 and by operating a handle 37 the cage 35 is raised by means of a pull rope 38 in order to deposit the beet roots in heaps.

The rake 34 is carried by two arms 39 on the rear axle 5, and in its extreme lower position rests on abutments like those shown in my Patent 1,881,145 so that the tines cannot penetrate into the soil. The frame rake can be swung upwards together with the cage 35 by means of a handle 40 and pull rope 41 or the like. The handles 12, 3'7 and 40 are adapted to be secured in position in known manner by ratchet wheels 42.

The elevators 13, 14 are driven from the rear wheel axle 5, that 14 through the intermediary of sprocket wheels 43, 44 and bevel wheels 45, 46 and that 13 by chain and sprocket gearing 4'7,

Y48 and a pair of bevel wheels 49, 50.

I claim:

A beet root harvesting machine, comprising in combination with the machine frame, and the rear wheel axle, a rake at the rear end of the frame set at an angle to the direction of travel having almost vertical tines in its front portion and bent tines forming a cage in its rear portion, means for tipping and emptying this cage, and a fork disc mounted on said frame in front of said rake and driven by said rear axle, adapted to lift the beet-roots still sticking in the earth and to throw them in front of said rake.

HEINRICH STOLZE. 

